Expert Opinion In Evidence

OPINION EVIDENCE

An expert has been defined as ‘a person with the status of an authority (in a subject) by reason of special skill, training or knowledge; a specialist’.

Similarly, an expert witness has been described as ‘one who has made the subject upon which he speaks a matter of particular study, practice or observation: and he must have a particular and special knowledge of the subject’ 

Instructively, on the other hands an opinion may be given by a witness as an expert or non-expert. An opinion generally is what a person thinks, beliefs or inference about something or a witness’s view about facts in dispute, as opposed to personal knowledge of facts themselves. It also conveys a professional judgment on the part of a professional. 

Dagayya v State. The expression also means, what people in general think about something. Thus, an expert’s opinion is a reasoned conclusion drawn from specialized knowledge based on facts which the expert has observed, assumed, or been instructed to assume.It is important to know that evidence given by an expert, if it is consistence to the case at hand the weight that will be attached to it will be high.